It’s for the Best That Russell Met the True Death:

Denis O’Hare played 3,000 year old vampire Russell Edgington onscreen for only two seasons, but his presence definitely colored a third. Mr. O’Hare says that he had a great time working on HBO’s True Blood, but there was no question that it was Russell’s time to die. The love story between Russell and Steve Newlin (Michael McMillian) made working on Season 5 a pleasure, and Mr. O’Hare can’t rule out a Godric-esque flashback for his character, but he maintains that true death at the hands of Eric Northman (Alex Skarsgård) was right.

Mr. O’Hare says that he didn’t know definitively for some time that Russell was going to meet the true death. There was much discussion and controversy as to how it should happen. There was never any question that Russell would die at the hands of Eric, the only question was the circumstances. In the end, making him drunk on fairy blood and leaving him vulnerable to a sneak attack from Eric was the most plausible, given Russell’s greater age and power. While some have speculated as to why Russell wasn’t more strategic about the time of day he drank the fairy blood, Mr. O’Hare replied:

“There’s no fairy blood handbook. No one has any schematics on how much fairy blood you should take to be in the sun, how long you can survive in the sun on it. Is it good for a year? A day? And Russell is more instinctual versus strategic. I’m not sure he has a plan, so he’s not thinking, I should wait until 7:30.”

The final moment of Russell’s life pleased Mr. O’Hare. He enjoyed the disappointed but accepting reaction. Mr. O’Hare believes that Russell has lost the enjoyment of living and the pursuit of power simply is no longer enough. His attachment to Steve Newlin was pleasant, but simply not enough. Mr. O’Hare says that one of the most enjoyable things about Season 5 was working with Michael McMillian. They worked well enough together to be able to improv and adlib scenes and dialog. While much of it was edited out, there were still many things that made it to the screen.

Mr. O’Hare Talks of the True Blood Cast and Speculates on the Future

Of the many things Mr. O’Hare says that he will miss about working on True Blood, he names the cast as what he will miss the most. Not only did all the actors work well together, but they were friends as well, often hanging out together onset. One member of the primary cast (who Mr. O’Hare will not name), continued to advocate to keep Russell Edgington alive. Alan Ball and the head writers sadly could not agree and said:

“For credibility’s sake, he has to go. We can’t let him survive again.”

Mr. O’Hare was asked to speculate on the future of True Blood storylines, and Russell’s possible place in them. He says that Bill Compton’s story is so divergent from the books there is no way to guess which direction it will go from here. While Mr. O’Hare has written a complete backstory for Russell, and provided it to the show writers, he has no idea if any of it will ever be incorporated into the show. For that reason, he’s not sure if Russell’s maker will ever become known, or if he has any progeny who might provide opportunities for flashbacks or visitations. Mr. O’Hare says that it’s possible that Eric is the closest Russell has ever gotten to feeling as though he had a true son:

“There was a lovely scene in season three where Russell and Eric had an intense moment, where Eric accepts his authority, and kneels before him, and you discover how Russell never had a son and he adopts Eric. That scene was cut, but there is an echo of that when Eric kneeled before him again this season. And for Eric to take Russell’s life, it was appropriate, and Russell knew that and he welcomed it. This was the only person he’s ever accepted as a son.”

How did you feel upon witnessing Russell’s true death? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

Names like Sookie, Lafayette and Tara are not exactly Mary, John and Sally, but they have become household names with millions of fans of renowned fiction author, CharlaineHarris. Where do character names come from? Some names like SookieStackhouse may seem overly complex for an outwardly simple barmaid. Some characters like BillCompton carry names that seem far too simple for a complicated, remorseful vampire. However, just as Sookie has many complicated facets, many of the characters names and personalities of the Sookie Stackhouse, Southern Vampire Mysteries span the realm of exciting and complicated to simple and mundane.

How character names are chosen is as individual as the writer and character. Was “Tara” ultimately taken from a fictional plantation in a classic novel? Perhaps a reference to a Saviour Goddess from Buddhism? In the end, it was just a lyrical sounding name. Some writers are open about their naming choices, while some keep the information personal. Whatever the origin for Ms. Harris’ character’s name, Tara is one of many on the lips of millions of fans. With the adaptation of Ms. Harris’ novels into Alan Ball’s award- winning HBO original series “True Blood,” the simple, unusual, significant or whimsical characters in Charlaine Harris’ novels will achieve immortality like so many of her supernatural beings.

One lucky fan will have the opportunity to share in the quest for immortality. Sept. 1 opens the bidding for a charity auction. The lucky winner of this charity fund raising auction will be allowed to “Name a Character” in a novella to be included in the companion book to her hugely successful Southern Vampire Mysteries (Sookie Stackhouse) series.

The 10-day auction will be held on the Ebay auction site by member AMHEART-SEA. For the second year running, this very special fund raising auction has been generously donated directly by the renowned fiction author.

The character’s chosen name must be mutually agreed upon by the winner and Ms. Harris and the auction winner will release all rights to the created/chosen name’s use within the specified novel. Additionally, if the character is named after an actual individual, the said namesake must agree to the use of their name. There is no direct or implied financial benefit for the winner or any namesake. At this time, the date of release for the next book, a novella, in this series is scheduled for first half of 2010. This is an incredible opportunity to be a part of literary history.

Bidding will begin on Sept. 1 and end on Sept. 10. Further details can be found at: